WINEMAKING

Making wine at 51 degrees north was never going to be easy. It is impossible to overestimate the burden of vineyard work and the ongoing level of sacrifice and dedication that is needed to nudge the dial favourably towards balance and flavour.

What makes all the toil and investment worthwhile at Danbury Ridge, is that the salt coast mesoclimate has passed through a significant threshold for ripeness. Dropping crop, leaf removal and de-vigourating practices make sense because they are enhancing rather than remedial or reparative.

Integrating the vines into the environment is one side of a coin. The flipside is revealed in the winery, where a different form of integration and nurturing occurs, between the fruit and winemaking.

Again, the level of investment and devotion required is sobering. Sparkling wines are Coquard-pressed, and the still wines gravity-fed into a mix of small oak open top fermenters and Nomblot concrete tanks.
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WINEMAKER, LIAM IDZIKOWSKI

As one of the first winemakers to recognise the world-class potential of fruit grown in Essex, Liam has spearheaded the ambitious production of premium still wines in the UK.
 
Growing up in Northern Ireland meant Liam travelled to learn his trade in California, Australia, South Africa and the Rhone. Working for world-renowned wineries like Tyrrells Estate in Australia’s Hunter Valley, and Williams Selyem in the Russian River Valley, California, meant Liam was able to hone his fastidious eye for detail.
 
Since passing his degree in Viticulture and Oenology with First-Class Honours, Liam has built a reputation for crafting some of the finest still and sparkling wines yet released by UK vineyards.
 
At Danbury Ridge, Liam has been instrumental in the design and creation of the winery and has full autonomy to create exceptional quality wines.
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